The numerous furloughs and bankruptcy filings over the course of the past year have proven that the pandemic has caused an immense strain on the retail industry. Consumers avoided in-person shopping experiences and instead found alternative ways to continue their buying habits. While big-box retailers, such as Walmart and Target, were able to withstand the economic upheaval, even the most established brands are seeing shifts in e-commerce shopping, various delivery and curbside pick-up options, and consumer behavior across brick and mortar locations. This drastic change in consumer behavior has accelerated the phenomenon known as the Amazon Effect, and has made it difficult for brands to meet new demands and expectations. With this shift in buying behavior, consumers have come to expect targeting, personalization, and convenience. However, with Audio Out-of-Home technology (Audio OOH), businesses are able to overcome this change by framing their brand, driving higher sales, and enhancing the customer’s in-store experience.
Audio Out-of-Home advertising technology gives retailers the ability to reach consumers with customized messages and advertisements at the point of purchase. Utilizing consumer demographics, location-based customization, and personalized messaging can help maximize the impact of Audio OOH. Not only do retailers have the unique opportunity to reach customers along the path to purchase, but the ability to tailor music, messaging, and advertisements based on the target audience’s characteristics, behaviors, and expectations. Audio OOH allows retailers to deliver environmental consistency and frame their brand in the way they wish to be perceived by consumers. With Audio OOH, retailers have the opportunity to generate a carefully crafted environment, giving their customers an enhanced understanding of the brand.
With the advanced technology and well-placed advertisements, Audio OOH enables retail locations to move product on the shelf, leading to higher return. Delivering messages to the consumer when propensity to spend is highest along the path to purchase, turns those impulsive buys into strategically selected purchases. As a matter of fact, 70% of shoppers make their purchase decisions in-store, making it the best place to influence an impulsive purchase. This creative and strategic method of messaging increases advertisers’ return on ad-spend (ROAS) and sales, because not only are shoppers more inclined to purchase these products, but the subconscious listening instills brand awareness, recognition, and loyalty. Consumers’ likelihood of leaving their comfort zone to try new products, remember that forgotten item on a shopping list, and make repeat purchases is higher when utilizing Audio OOH technology.
Consumers have come to expect the same personalization in physical retail locations that they have become accustomed to in the world of e-commerce based on the advancements in digital and online advertising methods. Not only does Audio OOH technology offer data-driven, measurable, and programmatic automation of advertisements, but it enhances the in-store customer experience. 80% of consumers are more likely to purchase from a company that offers a personalized experience. When advertisers shift their focus on increasing engagement and loyalty to stand out among competitors in the market and meet the evolving shopper expectations, customers will begin to develop a level of loyalty for specific retailers.
Both retailers and brands can benefit from utilizing Audio Out-of-Home in physical retail locations. Audio OOH enables retailers to increase sales while improving the customer experience when propensity to spend is highest. Vibenomics, the pioneer in Audio OOH, provides retailers with the cloud-based technology and industry expertise to frame their brand, enhance the in-store experience, build brand loyalty and drive higher sales. Allowing locations to control the in-store vibe through background music, live announcements, and promotional messaging, Vibenomics powers audio channels for retailers, giving brands the ability to talk to shoppers directly at the point of sale, battling the Amazon-Effect.
If the failure of Prohibition taught anything, it was that the liquor industry will survive. As such, today’s liquor stores may think they don’t need to spend time or resources in marketing. Put up the bottles and they will come, right? Not so fast.
All of those closed, boarded up liquor stores may have a different opinion. It’s important to find ways to promote the store and its products if business owners want to be the go-to shop for their target audience to spend their money. Most liquor stores are probably using one or two of the marketing tactics on this list, but is there certainty that target customers are as informed as they can—and should—be? This is where using in-store audio can help make all the difference.
Read on to find out 5 ways in-store audio can take a store’s “pretty good” tactics to a whole new level of marketing success.
Many liquor store shoppers wouldn’t consider themselves experts in pairing food items with their favorite wine, beer, or cocktail. Offering samples of potential pairings allows for customers to learn about the different offering available while simultaneously drawing in a more sophisticated customer demographic.
But, what’s the point of hosting these events if no one knows about them? In-store announcements leading up to the event can be a great way to keep customers in the know. Putting up flyers can help reinforce the message, but often customers will walk right by without reading or even noticing them. Using audio can help ensure that even the savviest beverage connoisseur marks the event on his or her calendar.
A customer is wandering about the store completely confused about what beverages to serve at a dinner party that night. Then, suddenly, the voice on the store’s speakers announces that the store has all the makings for a wonderful new seasonal cocktail. Boom! Problem solved.
Many liquor stores run specials on products that are more likely to be purchased during certain times of the year. For example, a lighter beer or wine in the summer and something a little heavier, like a good barrel-aged bourbon, in the winter. Using announcements to showcase those selections can be extremely valuable to customers who aren’t sure what they should serve, or are just looking to try something different.
Similar to pairing events, what is the point of bringing in the best wine rep in town to offer a tasting of their rare vintage Pinot Noir if no one shows up? These events can be great for drumming up excitement around a new brand or product—but only if customers actually know about it. Alerting customers of a free tasting of a new liquor brand via an in-store announcement—while they are already shopping—can be a great way to bring them back and, ideally, encourage them to buy again.
If the store is running a special, it makes sense to use every marketing avenue to make it successful. Running ads in the local paper, radio, and television may be helpful, but are relatively expensive and can easily be missed by target customers. Using an on-demand in-store audio announcement can hit customers while they are already shopping in the liquor store. They may not be there on the hunt for beer, but when they hear about the great deal the store is offering, they may just have to grab a six-pack (or two) before they go!
Most everyone can relate to the last minute scramble before a holiday party. It can be easy for someone overlook picking up the all-important bubbly before a holiday gathering, even though they were just in the liquor store the day before! But the scenario can play out differently: while they’re picking up their go-to beer, they hear an in-store audio reminder to remember champagne for that holiday party. They suddenly remember that they’re guests at a party the next night, so they grab a few bottles and are extremely grateful for the reminder.
There are so many ways that liquor stores can use in-store audio announcements to help with making their marketing events and promotions successful, becoming the one stop shop for customers. And it’s not an option—they need to engage in order to survive. With increasing competition from grocery stores, not to mention the added issues that come with a heavily government regulated industry, liquor stores need to work to find new ways to educate customers and keep them coming in for all their beverage needs.
Interested in learning more? Request a demo of Vibenomics today and learn how you can start creating on-brand music and messaging for your in-store customers.